Nathaniel Hawthorne intended to incorporate symbols that changed in meaning throughout the Scarlet Letter. The characterPearl’s changes
personality due to the impact of the curse of the Scarlet Letter changes over time. In the beginning of the novelPearlis eager to know who her father is because she believed that the Heavenly Father didn’t send her. “He did not send me!” “I have no Heavenly Father!” (pg.67) on page (105)Pearlknows who her father is because she states “But wilt though promise, to take my hand, and mother’s hand, to-morrow at noontide?” Pearl changes from beginning to the middle of the novel because she realizes who her father is and wants him to stand at the scaffold to be held accountable for his sin. At the end of the novelPearlbreaks the spell of the sin by kissing her father. Dimmesdale says “dear littlePearlwilt though kiss me now?” As soon as she kisses him the spell is broken,Pearldeveloped sympathies that she had never experienced before.Hawthorne’s description ofPearlchanges from the beginning of the novel towards the end because of the impact of her being a product of a sin.Hawthorneintended to characterizePearldifferently from the beginning to end to show the changes of her personality from the impacts of her parent’s choices.
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Pearl, in and of herself is a major symbol of The Scarlet Letter. She changes from a symbol of sin and human passion into a symbol of redemption and importance.
Pearl at the beginning of the story is introduced as a demon-child. The first thing she notices as an infant is the scarlet letter on her mother’s bosom. Pearl represents the sin of her mother and father. “…She would become the general symbol…in which they might vivify and embody their images of woman’s frailty and sinful passion” (pg 54). She’s described as “an imp of evil, emblem and product of sin (pg 64). Her mother was punished by public humiliation and being forced to wear a scarlet letter on her chest. Pearl herself is the living manifest of the scarlet letter. She IS the scarlet letter. ”It was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life.” (pg 70). Towards the middle of the story Pearl becomes the symbol linking Dimmesdale and Hester together. She becomes their connection, “and little Pearl, herself a symbol…that shall unite all who belong to one another” (pg 106). Pearl is the reason why Dimmesdale and Hester connot separate themselves from one another and the reason why Dimmesdale couldn’t keep his secret in. At the end of the story, Pearl sort of represents Dimmesdale’s and Hester’s redemption and oneness. “She had been offered to the world… as a living hieroglyphic, in which was revealed the secret they so darkly sought to hide, ---all written in this symbol,--- all plainly manifest.” “Pearl was the oneness of their being”.(pg 141). She was sent to earth as a “messenger of anguish” up until the point where Dimmesdale broke the bond of silence that had them both in chains.
Pearl is a symbol of redemption, anguish, sin, and passion. She is there to represent the freeness attached to redeeming yourself, as well as the torture attached to suffering in silence.
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In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter Pearl is symbolized as a great price and purchased with all her mom had. Almost like a Pearl as in jewelry and kind of like having antique goods worth great value. “But she named the infant "Pearl," as being of great price--purchased with all she had--her mother's only treasure!”(pg.61) Then she was symbolized as a sin later in the novel, even the towns people saw her as the “walking sin”. “"Behold, verily, there is the woman of the scarlet letter: and of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side!””(pg.70). Every time Hester looked at Pearl she got reminded that she sinned and now Pearl is the product of that. At the end of the story Pearl is symbolized like a spell being broken, like she was the answer to the problem the whole time. The spell was broken when Dimmesdale finally kissed her in front of everyone and he finally felt free. “Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies...” (pg.175). Throughout the story Pearl’s meaning changed but not drastically before she was a price Hester had to pay, then she was a walking sin and then she was a spell that needed to be broken.
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Throughout the story of “The Scarlet Letter” Pearl symbolizes Hester’s sin of adultery. In the begginning Pearl is there as a living, breathing, active version of the A Hester must wear on her bosom. Pearl is the product of Hester’s sin. “In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours.” (pg. 37) As the story progressed Pearl became to be pride of Hester’s. Pearl seemed to be all the greatness Hester had left. “’Pearl,’ as being of great price, -purchased with all she had, -her mother’s only treasure.” (pg. 61) Throughout the middle of the story Pearl was a nusance but also Hester’s pride. The governor had planned on taking Pearl from her but Hester went to the Governor’s Hall to plea to keep her. Pearl did have much evil in her but if you step back and look at the hardships she’d faced in her young life her actions are very understandable. By the end of the story Hester and Pearl were getting along together and Pearl ended up moving off and it is assumed that she was living happily married. “So Pearl-the elf child,-the demon offspring, as some people, up to that epoch, persisted in considering her-became the richest heiress of her day, in the New World.” (pg. 178) The product of Hester and Dimmesdale’s awful sin, Pearl, came out a great token in the end.
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Pearl in the beginning of the story is a symbol of treasure. She is a prize, a gift, and a blessing. Hester is happy to have her, to call Pearl her child. On page 61 Hester describes why she named her child Pearl. It states “She named the infant ‘Pearl’ as being of great price-purchased with all she had,-her mother’s only treasure.” So that shows that Hester really treasured what she had, and the only thing she had left, was Pearl, and she cherished that. Slowly though, throughout the story, Hester’s feelings change. She still loves Pearl dearly, but she is scared, because Pearl is different, and she is curious about things. Hester realizes that the only time where she is calm & happy with Pearl is when she is asleep, and that is not a good thing. On page 64, it says “Her only real comfort was when the child lay in the placidity of sleep.” That showed how Hester really felt sometimes, that was the only time she felt comfortable with Pearl. That’s when Pearls symbol really began to change. It started to change from Pearl being this sweet little angel, to this cynical, curious, and sadistic girl. She wanted to know things, things her mother swore she never would tell, and because her mother didn’t tell her, she would hurt her emotionally.
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Pearl is a symbol that changes throughout the story. She is labeled as a product of her mother’s sin, and is kind of isolated. Pearl by some is referred to as the devil child. In the story Pearl goes from an undisciplined child to always asking questions. At the end when Dimmesdale finally admits that he’s is Pearls father she finally gives him the kiss she’s been waiting to give to him, Pg 108 the spell has been broken. And on 175 it said Pearl had received all her sympathies meaning Pearl is a more compassionate person now.
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In “The Scarlet Letter,” it is obvious that Pearl is a symbol. The original meaning of her would be that she’s a product of sin, but later a spell on her is broken. Pearl goes from being an “imp of evil” (pg. 64) to having a promising future as a woman. At the beginning of the story, Hester used Pearl to try hiding the scarlet letter on her bosom. She realized that this would be useless, because “one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another.” (p. 37.) Later in the story, we learn more about Pearl. It becomes clear that Pearl is “an imp of evil, emblem and product of sin.” (p. 64.) Throughout the town, Pearl is known to be the product of Hester’s sin, and she acts like someone of that type would. “The child could not be made amendable to rules.” (p. 62.) At one point in the story, Dimmesdale, Hester and “little Pearl, herself a symbol, and the connecting link between those two” (p. 108) all stood on the scaffold together. Pearl is the symbol that connects the two of them. At the end of the story Dimmesdale admits to being Pearl’s father. “Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken.” (p. 108.) Immediately after Dimmesdale admits to being Pearl’s father, she “had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father’s cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it.” (p. 175.) This quote explains that Pearl became a sympathetic person, and is no longer the physical manifestation of sin, because Dimmesdale showed his own scarlet letter on his chest. In conclusion, Pearl went from being a product of sin, to becoming sympathetic.
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Pearl is a reoccurring symbol that changes from a devilish girl in the beginning, but becomes a more sympathetic girl in the end. In the beginning of the story, Pearl is the symbol of Hester and Dimmesdale’s love affair. She is seen as “like a little elf” (page 67) with an “elfish cast” (page 66) in her eyes to symbolize Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin of adultery. Towards the end of the story, when Pearl realizes that Dimmesdale is her father, we start to see a change. During this realization, she “kissed his lips” and “a spell was broken” (Page 108). Like the conflict between Hester and Dimmesdale, the devilishness inside her dissolves after this event. Through these events it can be seen that Pearl changes from a symbol of the sins made by Hester and Dimmesdale to a symbol of being forgiven.
personality due to the impact of the curse of the Scarlet Letter changes over time. In the beginning of the novelPearlis eager to know who her father is because she believed that the Heavenly Father didn’t send her. “He did not send me!” “I have no Heavenly Father!” (pg.67) on page (105)Pearlknows who her father is because she states “But wilt though promise, to take my hand, and mother’s hand, to-morrow at noontide?” Pearl changes from beginning to the middle of the novel because she realizes who her father is and wants him to stand at the scaffold to be held accountable for his sin. At the end of the novelPearlbreaks the spell of the sin by kissing her father. Dimmesdale says “dear littlePearlwilt though kiss me now?” As soon as she kisses him the spell is broken,Pearldeveloped sympathies that she had never experienced before.Hawthorne’s description ofPearlchanges from the beginning of the novel towards the end because of the impact of her being a product of a sin.Hawthorneintended to characterizePearldifferently from the beginning to end to show the changes of her personality from the impacts of her parent’s choices.
Pearl at the beginning of the story is introduced as a demon-child. The first thing she notices as an infant is the scarlet letter on her mother’s bosom. Pearl represents the sin of her mother and father. “…She would become the general symbol…in which they might vivify and embody their images of woman’s frailty and sinful passion” (pg 54). She’s described as “an imp of evil, emblem and product of sin (pg 64). Her mother was punished by public humiliation and being forced to wear a scarlet letter on her chest. Pearl herself is the living manifest of the scarlet letter. She IS the scarlet letter. ”It was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life.” (pg 70). Towards the middle of the story Pearl becomes the symbol linking Dimmesdale and Hester together. She becomes their connection, “and little Pearl, herself a symbol…that shall unite all who belong to one another” (pg 106). Pearl is the reason why Dimmesdale and Hester connot separate themselves from one another and the reason why Dimmesdale couldn’t keep his secret in. At the end of the story, Pearl sort of represents Dimmesdale’s and Hester’s redemption and oneness. “She had been offered to the world… as a living hieroglyphic, in which was revealed the secret they so darkly sought to hide, ---all written in this symbol,--- all plainly manifest.” “Pearl was the oneness of their being”.(pg 141). She was sent to earth as a “messenger of anguish” up until the point where Dimmesdale broke the bond of silence that had them both in chains.
Pearl is a symbol of redemption, anguish, sin, and passion. She is there to represent the freeness attached to redeeming yourself, as well as the torture attached to suffering in silence.
In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter Pearl is symbolized as a great price and purchased with all her mom had. Almost like a Pearl as in jewelry and kind of like having antique goods worth great value. “But she named the infant "Pearl," as being of great price--purchased with all she had--her mother's only treasure!”(pg.61) Then she was symbolized as a sin later in the novel, even the towns people saw her as the “walking sin”. “"Behold, verily, there is the woman of the scarlet letter: and of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side!””(pg.70). Every time Hester looked at Pearl she got reminded that she sinned and now Pearl is the product of that. At the end of the story Pearl is symbolized like a spell being broken, like she was the answer to the problem the whole time. The spell was broken when Dimmesdale finally kissed her in front of everyone and he finally felt free. “Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies...” (pg.175). Throughout the story Pearl’s meaning changed but not drastically before she was a price Hester had to pay, then she was a walking sin and then she was a spell that needed to be broken.
Pearl in the beginning of the story is a symbol of treasure. She is a prize, a gift, and a blessing. Hester is happy to have her, to call Pearl her child. On page 61 Hester describes why she named her child Pearl. It states “She named the infant ‘Pearl’ as being of great price-purchased with all she had,-her mother’s only treasure.” So that shows that Hester really treasured what she had, and the only thing she had left, was Pearl, and she cherished that. Slowly though, throughout the story, Hester’s feelings change. She still loves Pearl dearly, but she is scared, because Pearl is different, and she is curious about things. Hester realizes that the only time where she is calm & happy with Pearl is when she is asleep, and that is not a good thing. On page 64, it says “Her only real comfort was when the child lay in the placidity of sleep.” That showed how Hester really felt sometimes, that was the only time she felt comfortable with Pearl. That’s when Pearls symbol really began to change. It started to change from Pearl being this sweet little angel, to this cynical, curious, and sadistic girl. She wanted to know things, things her mother swore she never would tell, and because her mother didn’t tell her, she would hurt her emotionally.
Pearl is a reoccurring symbol that changes from a devilish girl in the beginning, but becomes a more sympathetic girl in the end. In the beginning of the story, Pearl is the symbol of Hester and Dimmesdale’s love affair. She is seen as “like a little elf” (page 67) with an “elfish cast” (page 66) in her eyes to symbolize Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin of adultery. Towards the end of the story, when Pearl realizes that Dimmesdale is her father, we start to see a change. During this realization, she “kissed his lips” and “a spell was broken” (Page 108). Like the conflict between Hester and Dimmesdale, the devilishness inside her dissolves after this event. Through these events it can be seen that Pearl changes from a symbol of the sins made by Hester and Dimmesdale to a symbol of being forgiven.